Filter cigarillo

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to a filter cigarillo ( 1 ) which has tobacco ( 4 ), a filter ( 8 ) at the mouth end of the filter cigarillo ( 1 ), and a covering sheet ( 12 ) which extends over the whole length of the filter cigarillo ( 1 ). A banderole-like marking ( 14 ), which leaves free the mouth end ( 2 ) of the filter cigarillo ( 1 ), is disposed at the mouth half of the covering sheet ( 12 ). Preferably, below the covering sheet ( 12 ), the tobacco ( 4 ) is surrounded by a surround sheet ( 6 ), and the filter ( 8 ) is connected to the surround sheet ( 6 ) by means of a filter cover ( 10 ).

The invention relates to a filter cigarillo having tobacco, having a filter in the mouth end region, and having a cover sheet which extends over the entire length of the filter cigarillo.

Conventional filter cigarillos have a tobacco rod which is usually enclosed by a surround sheet and a cover sheet arranged thereabove. At one end of the rod, the filter is connected to the rod with the aid of a so-called tipping paper (filter cover). In the case of such filter cigarillos, the end at which the filter is arranged is evident at first glance, in which case the user can easily light up the filter cigarillo at the correct end.

In accordance with a new regulation (EU guideline 2002/10/EC dated Feb. 12, 2002), the cover sheet extends over the entire length of the filter cigarillo. In the case of these products, the filter with the tipping paper is fixed on the rod, which is wrapped by the surround sheet, and then covered completely by the cover sheet. This gives rise to the problem where the user has to look very carefully at which end of the filter cigarillo the filter is located. If the filter has, for example, cellulose acetate, which is virtually white, the end with the filter can still be distinguished from the other end of the filter cigarillo by the color of the end side. Tobacco filters are also conceivable, however, i.e. a filter made of tobacco, and this makes it difficult to distinguish between the two ends of the filter cigarillo.

It is an object of the invention to make it possible to distinguish readily between the two ends of a filter cigarillo even when the cover sheet extends over the entire length of the filter cigarillo.

This object is achieved by a filter cigarillo having the features of claim 1. Advantageous refinements of the invention can be found in the subclaims.

The filter cigarillo according to the invention contains tobacco and, in its mouth-end region a filter. The outer wrapper used is a cover sheet which extends over the entire length of the filter cigarillo. Beneath the cover sheet, the tobacco is preferably enclosed by a surround sheet, the filter being connected to the tobacco rod, which is wrapped by the surround sheet, by means of a filter cover. According to the invention, a band-like marking (in the following generally: banderole-like marking) is arranged on the mouth-end half of the cover sheet and leaves the mouth end (or the mouth end region) of the filter cigarillo free.

The position of the banderole-like marking readily indicates the orientation of the filter cigarillo and the position of the mouth end thereof. Since the mouth end itself is not covered by the banderole-like marking, the properties of the filter cigarillo in the end region, which is relatively important in respect of smoking behavior, are not influenced by the banderole-like marking.

In an advantageous embodiment, the banderole-like marking is configured as a band which extends over the entire circumference of the cover sheet. It is possible here for the band to be produced as an independent part and to be fixed on the cover sheet, e.g. by adhesive bonding, preferably by adhesive bonding to the cover sheet over the entire surface area. It is also possible for the band to be positioned tightly around the cover sheet to be fixed on itself, so that it cannot slip or be drawn over the cover sheet. Examples of possible materials for the band are paper, reconstituted tobacco and film material, and also transparent film material, e.g. cellophane. The band may also be rendered self-extinguishing, in order to prevent the filter cigarillo from accidently burning right down. This is achieved, for example, by the addition of fire retardants (e.g. alginates, cellulose and salts). In preferred embodiments of the invention, the band has printing on it.

The banderole-like marking need not be designed in the form of an independent part; rather, it may also be printed onto the cover sheet of the filter cigarillo.

Possible printing techniques for the banderole print, both in the case of an independent band and in the case of a printed-on marking, are gravure printing, offset printing and letterpress printing (also flexographic printing and stamping). The banderole printing can take place “online” in that, during production of the filter cigarillo, the cover sheet, or a banderole which has already been wound around the cover sheet and fastened thereon, has printing applied to it in the desired manner. In the latter case, it is also possible for the banderole already to have been provided with other printing or marking prior to being applied to the cover sheet. “Offline” printing is suitable, in particular, for independent bands, which are printed continuously, for example on sheets or endless strips and then are separated and fastened on the cover sheet of the filter cigarillo.

The banderole-like marking is preferably configured in a decorative manner, e.g. with a logo. It may also be printed with a warning, advertising or an originality hint or be marked in some other way. Other suitable markings are holograms. A simple banderole-like marking, e.g. with a single color or with colored stripes which run parallel to one another and extend over the circumference of the filter cigarillo, is likewise conceivable.

The width of the banderole-like marking may lie, for example, within the range of 3 mm to 16 mm. All intermediate values are also disclosed herewith. A width of approximately 8 mm is particularly advantageous. However, there is no need for the longitudinal sides of the banderole-like marking (that is to say the sides running in the circumferential direction of the filter cigarillo) to be rectilinear or to run parallel to one another.

The zone of the cover sheet between the mouth end of the filter cigarillo and the banderole-like marking may have, for example, a width in the range of 10 mm to 30 mm, all intermediate ranges also being disclosed herewith, e.g. 17 mm to 19 mm or approximately 18 mm.

In preferred embodiments, the filter cigarillo has a ventilation zone with ventilation openings. The ventilation openings can be produced, for example, by laser perforation or mechanical perforation. The ventilation zone may be arranged, for example, in a region of 9 mm to 30 mm from the mouth end of the filter cigarillo (which may also comprise a small subregion thereof or, for example, a circumferentially running perforation line which extends over the entire circumference or a subregion thereof) or somewhere inbetweeen. In one embodiment, the ventilation zone is located outside the filter region at a distance of 0 mm to 40 mm (or somewhere inbetween) from the rod end of the filter, that is to say from the end at which the tobacco rod begins. However, it need not be restricted to the tobacco rod (rod ventilation); rather, it may also be arranged in addition, or exclusively, in the filter region. The ventilation zone may have, for example, one, two or more than two circumferentially running perforation lines, but other configurations are also conceivable.

The ventilation zone is preferably dimensioned such that the filter cigarillo maintains or goes below target values or potential regulatory limit values for smoking (in particular in accordance with “Coresta recommended method” No. 64-67 and/or in accordance with DIN/ISO). The degree of ventilation may lie within the range of 10% to 90%, all intermediate values also being disclosed (e.g. 30% to 70%, 30% to 50%, 10% to 30% and 70% to 90%).

In some circumstances, a ventilation zone in the mouth end region of the filter cigarillo is barely visible to the naked eye. Wrapping with the cover sheet also means that it is not possible to see the location at which the smokable tobacco rod ends and the filter portion begins. Placement of the banderole-like marking, however, means that the invention makes it possible for the smoker to see the location at which the filtration region (with ventilation zone and filtering material) begins and the region envisaged for smoking ends.

The filter has, for example, a length in the range of 4 mm to 30 mm, all intermediate ranges also being disclosed. A filter length of approximately 7 mm to 8 mm is advantageous.

The filter may be produced from a conventional filter material such as cellulose acetate, but may also have regenerated cellulose (e.g. viscose). Examples of other conceivable materials are cellulose and paper. It is also possible to provide additives, e.g. an adsorbent, activated carbon or an ion-exchange material. A particular advantage of the filter cigarillo according to the invention is evident when the filter has tobacco, since in this case the ends of the filter cigarillo are indistinguishable in practice. A tobacco filter may also be produced for example in that, during production of the filter cigarillo, the tobacco rod is compressed in a region which is envisaged as the filter zone. The filter may also have a hollow mouthpiece. Multi-part filters are likewise conceivable.

For the overall length and diameter of the filter cigarillo, wide ranges are possible in each case, e.g. 65 mm to 120 mm for the overall length and 5 mm to 12 mm for the diameter. All intermediate values are also disclosed herewith. Preferred values for the overall length are approximately 84 mm and approximately 100 mm. The diameter may be, for example, approximately 8 mm. In another embodiment, the diameter is greater than or equal to 10.8 mm (i.e. the circumference is greater than or equal to 34 mm).

The tobacco used can be any tobacco which is conventional for cigarillos, e.g. deribbed mixed tobacco. In a preferred embodiment, it is also possible to use mixtures which are typical for cigarettes, e.g. mixtures with Burley, Virginia and/or oriental tobacco, which can also be used in the form of deribbed mixed tobacco.

The mass of the tobacco material contained in the filter cigarillo lies, for example, within the range of 0.5 g to 3.0 g or somewhere inbetween and is preferably either greater than (or equal to) 1.2 g or greater than (or equal to) 2.3 g. The mass here relates to the total amount of tobacco material, that is to say to the tobacco in the tobacco rod intended for smoking and also any tobacco (e.g. reconstituted tobacco) in the surround sheet and/or cover sheet. Embodiments with a tobacco mass of 2.3 g or more are particularly suitable for filter cigarillos which do not have any surround sheet and in which the cover sheet is wound axially (that is to say not helically); the diameter here is preferably at least 10.8 mm (i.e. the circumference is at least 34 mm).

The cover sheet of the filter cigarillo may (in the same way as the surround sheet) have reconstituted tobacco. The cover sheet is preferably wound helically. An advantageous helix angle of the winding is approximately 30° (measured in relation to the longitudinal axis of the filter cigarillo; the helix angle here is thus defined differently than in the case of a screw thread). It is also conceivable for the cover sheet not to be wound helically. A helically wound cover sheet may also be configured as a natural cover sheet, that is to say in particular produced from a tobacco leaf.

In the case of the filter cigarillo according to the invention, the banderole-like marking makes it possible to distinguish quickly and reliably between the end provided with the filter and the end which is to be lit up. Furthermore, the banderole-like marking can emphasize a ventilation zone, thus ensuring that boundary values are maintained during smoking, and it can show clearly the position of the filtration zone in relation to the zone intended for smoking. Moreover, the banderole-like marking makes it possible for the filter cigarillo to be configured in an attractive manner or to be differentiated from cigarettes.

The invention will be described in more detail hereinbelow by way of an exemplary embodiment. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section through an embodiment of the filter cigarillo according to the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic longitudinal section of an embodiment of a filter cigarillo 1. FIG. 1 is not true to scale; for example, the materials are shown to be thicker than they really are.

The filter cigarillo 1 has a mouth end 2 and a rod end 3. It contains, as filling, a tobacco 4 formed into a tobacco rod. In the exemplary embodiment, the tobacco 4 is a deribbed mixed tobacco, as is used for filter cigarillos. The tobacco may be produced from a mixture of Burley-, Virginia- and oriental tobacco.

The tobacco 4 is enclosed by a surround sheet 6 which, in the exemplary embodiment, consists of reconstituted tobacco. The surround sheet 6 is wound axially (that is to say not helically) and is closed along a longitudinal seam, which is not shown in FIG. 1 and is configured as an adhesive-bonding seam.

That end of the tobacco rod which is directed away from the rod end 3 has arranged on it a filter 8, which in the exemplary embodiment has cellulose acetate. Other filter materials, e.g. regenerated cellulose, paper or even tobacco, are likewise conceivable. For fastening the filter 8 on the tobacco rod, which is wrapped by the surround sheet 6, use is made of a filter cover 10 made of paper (tipping paper) which is longer in the axial direction than the filter 8 and thus overlaps the surround sheet 6. The filter cover 10 is adhesively bonded to the surround sheet 6. The filter cover may also be produced from a material other than paper, e.g. from reconstituted tobacco.

A cover sheet 12 is provided as an outer wrapper. In the exemplary embodiment, the cover sheet 12 is likewise produced from reconstituted tobacco. It is wound helically, as is indicated in FIG. 1 by the oblique strokes. In accordance with recent regulations, the cover sheet 12 covers over the filter cover 10 to the full extent, as is the case in the embodiment according to FIG. 1, and thus extends from the mouth end 2 to the rod end 3 of the filter cigarillo 1. The region of the cover sheet 12 in the vicinity of the rod end 3 is not depicted in FIG. 1.

Apart from the fact that the cover sheet 12 also covers over the filter cover 10, and to the extent considered thus far, the filter cigarillo 1 is produced in a manner which is conventional for filter cigarillos, and using materials which are conventional therefor, as is known to a person skilled in the art. Furthermore, the filter cigarillo 1 has a banderole-like marking, which in the exemplary embodiment is configured as a band 14. The band 14 is located in the mouth-end half of the filter cigarillo 1 and, in the exemplary embodiment, is arranged in the vicinity of the filter 8. In the exemplary embodiment, the band 14 is produced from paper, extends over the entire circumference of the filter cigarillo 1 and is adhesively bonded to the cover sheet 12 over the entire surface area. The two ends of the band 14 here overlap to some extent (approximately 2 mm to 4 mm). Configurations in which a gap remains between the two ends of the band are likewise conceivable. The adhesive used is an adhesive which is permissible for tobacco products.

In the exemplary embodiment, the band 14 is printed with an attractive originality hint. For printing purposes, for example a paper roll having a width equal to a plurality of individual bands 14 is unwound, provided with the banderole print by gravure printing and wound up again and then cut, as it were, in slices to produce a plurality of endless rolls with bands 14 arranged one behind the other. Upon production of the filter cigarillos, the foremost band from a banderole roll can then be fed to a respective filter cigarillo 1, and the band 14 is severed from the banderole roll and, following application of adhesive at the location envisaged for this purpose, wound around the filter cigarillo 1 and adhesively bonded to the cover sheet 12.

In the exemplary embodiment, the filter cigarillo 1 has an overall length of 84 mm. The filter 8 has a length of 7 mm and the band 14 has a width of 8 mm. The free zone between the mouth end 2 of the filter cigarillo 1 and the start of the band 14 has a length of approximately 18 mm in the exemplary embodiment. Also provided in this zone is a ventilation zone which extends in the form of a single line of laser perforations around the circumference of the filter cigarillo 1 and at a distance of 13 mm from the mouth end 2. The total tobacco mass (that is to say the mass of the tobacco 4 plus the masses of the surround sheet 6 and of the cover sheet 12) is somewhat more than 1.2 g. 

1. A filter cigarillo presenting a mouth end and an opposite distal end, and defining a length extending therebetween, said filter cigarillo comprising: tobacco; a filter extending from the mouth end of the filter cigarillo, a cover sheet extending over the entire length of the filter cigarillo; and a banderole-like marking arranged on a mouth-end half of the cover sheet that does not cover the mouth end of the filter cigarillo.
 2. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said tobacco being enclosed by a surround sheet disposed beneath the cover sheet, said filter being connected to the surround sheet with a filter cover.
 3. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said banderole-like marking being configured as a band that extends over the entire circumference of the cover sheet.
 4. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 3, said band being produced as an independent part and being subsequently fixed on the cover sheet.
 5. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 4, said band including at least one material selected from the group consisting of paper, reconstituted tobacco, film material, transparent film material, cellophane, self-extinguishing material, alginates, cellulose, and fire-retardant salts.
 6. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 4, said band including printing thereon.
 7. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said banderole-like marking being printed onto the cover sheet.
 8. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 6, said banderole-like marking being formed by at least one technique selected from the group consisting of gravure printing, letterpress printing, flexographic printing, stamping, offset printing, online printing, and offline printing.
 9. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said banderole-like marking including at least one feature selected from the group consisting of logo, warning, advertising, originality hint, single-colored stripes running parallel to one another, multi-colored stripes running parallel to one another, and hologram.
 10. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said banderole-like marking presenting a width within a range of 3 mm to 16 mm, 3 mm to 5 mm, 5 mm to 7 mm, 7 mm to 9 mm, 9 mm to 12 mm, or 12 mm to 16 mm.
 11. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, a portion of the cover sheet disposed between the mouth end of the filter cigarillo and the banderole-like marking presenting a width within a range of 10 mm to 30 mm, 10 mm to 23 mm, 10 mm to 14 mm, 14 mm to 20 mm, 18 mm to 23 mm, or 17 mm to 19 mm.
 12. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a ventilation zone including ventilation openings.
 13. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 12, said ventilation zone providing a degree of ventilation within a range of 10% to 90%, 30% to 70%, 30% to 50%, 10% to 30%, or 70% to 90%.
 14. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 12, said ventilation zone being arranged in at least one area selected from the group consisting of 9 mm to 30 mm from the mouth end of the filter cigarillo, 9 mm to 23 mm from the mouth end of the filter cigarillo, 9 mm to 15 mm from the mouth end of the filter cigarillo, 12 mm to 14 mm from the mouth end of the filter cigarillo, and 0 mm to 40 mm from a rod end of the filter and disposed outside of a region of the filter.
 15. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said filter presenting a filter length within a range of 4 mm to 30 mm, 5 mm to 26 mm, 5 mm to 10 mm, or 7 mm to 8 mm.
 16. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said filter including at least one material selected from the group consisting of cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose, cellulose, paper, tobacco, compressed tobacco, adsorbent, activated carbon, and ion-exchange material.
 17. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said filter including a hollow mouthpiece.
 18. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said cigarillo length being within a range of 65 mm to 120 mm, 80 mm to 105 mm, 83 mm to 85 mm, or 99 mm to 101 mm.
 19. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said cigarillo presenting a diameter within a range of 5 mm to 12 mm, 5 mm to 9 mm, 7 mm to 9 mm, 7.7 mm to 8.3 mm, or 10.5 mm to 11.5 mm.
 20. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said tobacco comprising deribbed mixed tobacco.
 21. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said tobacco comprising a mixture with Burley tobacco, Virginia tobacco, and oriental tobacco.
 22. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said tobacco presenting a mass within a range of 0.5 g to 3.0 g, 0.5 g, to 2.0 g, 1.2 g, to 2.0 g, or 2.3 g to 3.0 g.
 23. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, said cover sheet being wound helically to present a helix angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the filter cigarillo.
 24. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 1, at least one of said cover sheet the and said surround sheet comprising reconstituted tobacco.
 25. The filter cigarillo as claimed in claim 23, said helix angle presenting an angular measurement of approximately 30°. 